#tsunami arc my most beloved

[stagefoureddiediaz]

Ok so I’ve been chatting on discord with @theladyyavilee @mistmarauder and like you do I had a lightbulb moment!! Jess is an enabler and made me make this post so I’m sorry everyone in advance!!!

We are talking tsunami and the next level layering the writers have been doing. I really love that this show rewards us for rewatching and really looking at the details! 

I was rewatching the tsunami arc for watery reasons and it got me thinking about the line the incident command dude says (3x02 15:29 if you want to watch for yourself!)

 ‘we’ve already had two [waves] so far and can expect another 4or 5 before it starts to recede’ 

Well that got me thinking about it being deeper than a throw away line about the fact that tsunamis aren’t just a single wave of devastation, but actually multiple waves. We’re currently doing so research to establish when the water theme actually starts but I’m currently wondering if this line is the possible beginning of the water metaphor - the two waves we’ve had being what precedes the tsunami - so the truck bombing and Shannon’s death. 

Then the 4-5 expected waves to come after being the show telling us that there will be 4-5 things happen before we get to canon Buddie - before the water finds it’s level. The waves we’ve had since then are the well, the shooting and the lightning strike making 3 and we can maybe include Eddie’s breakdown as another one (although I’m not sure) which makes 4. We also know there’s going to be some big disaster at the end of the season (two trapped dads theory my beloved) which could take us to either 4 or 5 (depending on if we include the breakdown or not) suggesting that perhaps water will find its level the the end of this season/ the beginning of the next season and therefore Buddie canon will happen shortly thereafter!

If we think about everything in a little more detail and think about how those 4-5 more expected waves would decrease in strength each time (as the water settles back to its level) and them being key marking points in their relationship - the most intense ones that have the biggest impact - being at the beginning and clearing a path for the subsequent ones which are no less important, but having seemingly less dramatic results as they are just building on what’s already there.

But lets, for a minute, go right back to the beginning - back to season two - things then begin to make even more sense - tsunamis are started/created by underwater earthquakes which means the earthquake in s2 is the starting point for everything (If that’s how this came about the writers of this show are so genius I can’t even begin to put into words how much I love them and their insane cleverness!) it is the big event that sets everything that comes after into motion - and it is the event that actually establishes buddifer (Buck mets Chris post earthquake when he drives Eddie to pick him up from school).

Then you get that vacuum where all the water heads away from land as the tsunami builds its strength - Christophers line ‘Where did all the water go’ is kind of a metaphor for the vacuum created with Shannon’s death. She was Christopher’s previous water level - his having two parents (even if she was absent he still carried hope that she would return - then she did. Her loss creates turbulence for him (and Eddie and by extension Buck) and his waters are no longer level. I love the idea of this vacuum being created at this moment, but the events leading to it had already been set in motion before she even came back into the picture - that this massive change was already incoming. 

The truck bomb is the first wave - and actually thats when we see Eddie’s attachment to Buck in a physical way - the hand holding - and it leads to our first Buddie hug (and technically the second as well). It also marks the point where we end up with both of them being single.

The tsunami is wave 2 - the big shift here is obviously the deepening of  Buck and Christopher’s relationship - the biggest and most important pivotal thing after Buck and Eddie’s own developing relationship - because Buck having an independent and strong relationship with Chris is a requirement if buddie are going to work - the show needs to establish them having their own special bond which is separate from Chris and Eddie and from the 3 of them together as a unit.

With those two things established - the two big waves - then the smaller waves can surge in - they don’t need to reach as far because the base has been created by the first two waves - their path has already been cleared making these subsequent waves’ jobs are ‘easier’.

So wave 3 (or wave 1 of the 4-5 further waves) is the well - with it comes the big and key change of the will - and we continue the link to water.

Wave 4 (wave 2 of the further waves) is the shooting which as well as revealing the will, independently continues to further the father-son relationship between Buck and Chris. I can’t think of any obvious watery connections here - beyond the pool of Eddies blood we see spilling onto the asphalt. 

If we assume Wave 5 (wave 3 of the further waves) is Eddie’s breakdown - which ties all 3 of them closer together and establishes just how deep the level of trust is between Buck and Eddie. there isn’t an obvious water connection to Eddies breakdown - beyond the tears - but the episode itself involves several water related accidents or scenes (Shark cage rescue, and all the fish from the freezer and we get Maddie playing with Jee in the bathtub as well).

Then wave 6 (wave 4 of the further waves) is the lightning strike - which just continues to build on all that’s come before - it doesn’t really reveal anything new just leads to a big jump in the amount of buddifer scenes we’ve had since. again we have a watery connection with the heavy rain!

And the potential final wave is the one we haven’t seen (which would be wave 5 of the further waves)- but could be the two trapped dads of it all - both of them being at risk at the same time and the realisation that potentially comes out of that - it not necessarily being a confession moment, but the moment before it - before the waters calm and find their level and then they’ll be in the right place to move forward - together!! We know there is a watery connection to whatever this happens to be from the bts we’ve had - filming at the Queen Mary and the road collapse is next to/ over water.

So there we have it - either the writers set out the roadmap to Buddie way back when, or I’ve gone insane and should probably be locked up in an institution - I leave it to you to decide which!

[niraves]

I really love this silly little procedural drama. First of all for the crazy rescues, the tsunami arc was the best opening disaster and it still is, I love the funny episodes like Jinxed, Ocean's 911.

Secondly, I love the characters, especially the 118. I didn't like Bobby much at first but he's grown on me and now I like him too. I love Chim, Hen, I feel very indifferent about Eddie to be honest but I don't really have a problem with him. (His "fans" on the other hand...)

BUT Buck is my favorite and I'm having a hard time forgiving the writers and Oliver for basically butchering his character. Not just because of Tommy, but right now I hate how they're handeling this whole situation. This was a huge opportunity, by giving Buck a love interest that works. And now the show suffers from it.

Also I think the show is suffering from moving to ABC. The beloved side characters are gone. Where is Sue? Linda? Carla? Ravi? I could go on...

Yes, we most likely wouldn't have Bi Buck if the show stayed on Fox but the best seasons aired there. This season feels like a letdown so far. I know we are only on episode 6 but it doesn't feel like things will get better. We can only hope that the backlash is enough for Tim Minear to reconcider his choices and make something better out what's left during the hiatus.

I'm having a hard time letting this show go, it was the highlight of my weeks for months now since I discovered it on Disney+ (and pinterest lmao).

I hope my rambling made sense, english is not my first language and if nothing else comes from this week's suffering at least I got to practice the language lol.

[daffi-990]

hi daffi i started rereading the rival firefighter and i remember the mentions of a playlist the first time i read it ,did you ever share it?

I didn’t but I will now!

I actually have two playlists for it, one which is general vibes and the other which is specifically for chapter 8 👀

Rival Firefighters Playlist

Tsunami Arc

Hope you enjoy them thank you for rereading my most beloved fic 🥰❤️

[beyourownanchor6]

beloved for the fic writer questions, whichever number you want to answer most and haven’t been asked yet <33333

hello my beloved!! ohh i love this 🥰💙 how about,

65. Tell us about what you’re most looking forward to writing – in your current project, or a future project

—i am very excited to share and work on all of my bthb prompts!

i have a couple for my beloved tsunami arc, as well as prisoner!buck and prison guard!eddie, and i also have a stripper and werewolf au planned to go with my card as well. lots of angst to come 😌

get to know your fic writer

[beefcakekinard]

For the 911 asks: 4, 12, 22 - zahraa 🫶

zahraa 🥰 ok here:

4. favourite episode?

buck begins my beloved... i'm such a buck girlie it's a little embarrassing but i'm ALSO in love with the episode for the maddie & buck of it all. they mean just the most to me. i need maddie begins!!

12. favourite storyline?

okay i'm discounting buck's bi arc bc that's too obvious. so besides that, honestly probably madney getting together or the tsunami episodes.

22. favourite begins?

i know i just said buck begins is my favourite episode lmao BUT if i'm looking at/judging the begins episodes based on being begins eps, i'd go with either chimney or bobby begins again.

ask me my 911 opinions!

[kiss2012]

bet u all thought u’d seen the last of my 911 lb but u’d be wrong

ali martin in 2x02-2x03 is my queen. she deserved better than being a half-hearted love interest who showed up three times before an off-screen breakup.

im sooooo in love with season 2 eddie

christopher was so small…he was just a baby…cries forever

god eddie’s so beautiful in season 2

and so is maddie…wow

it takes less than an episode for buck’s animosity towards eddie to completely dissolve and for eddie’s defences to completely fall. like five interactions and they’re working together in perfect harmony in the midst of a completely unexpected disaster. and a huge part of that is having to rely on each other with the grenade, so that after that up close and personal emergency they can handle the earthquake easily. but also well firstly eddie complimented buck one (1) time and buck immediately rolled over. and then secondly buck reassured eddie about christopher, enough that eddie even made a joke (a joke!) about it. they say they’ll have each other’s backs and then they Do, so instinctively and automatically even when they barely know each other…it’s like they Already know each other

all this to say. we might end up real close.

heart of a champion guy is one of the calls i teared up at the most when i watched the first time

i loveeee the earthquake i remember getting to the end of 2x02 and being like it CANNOT end there and then it did so i played the first 5min of 2x03

but s2 supremacy fr not only does it start off well but it ends well too whereas 1x10 is a bit forgettable (beyond bathena) and while the tsunami is the best emergency they’ve done 3x18 is meh (train derailment is not that great imo but i’ll have to watch it again to fully decide). end of s4 is obvs incredible but 4x01 (while good) isn’t as amazing as the end. the s5 blackout has a lot of promise but they dropped the ball a bit but end of s5 was good….i don’t even remember 6x01 lol and 6x18’s the weakest finale so far.

STUCK TIME EVERYBODY CHEER

every episode should start off exactly like this i’m not even kidding

yes so true pepa eddie is a saint

EVERYONE IS SO SWEET WITH CHRISTOPHER STUCK IN THE MIDDLE MONTAGE MY BELOVED

BOBBY EDDIE HUG OHHHHHH IM SICK

maddie and eddie are sooooo swoonworthy in season 2 like it’s actually crazy

i love the way chimney’s arc with tatiana was handled

also i love carla they need to bring her back lol where has she been

at the end of the episode buck sits down at the foot of abby’s bed. not even on the bed. the foot of her bed….

i think buck and taylor’s first meeting is actually so damn cute. their relationship is so intensely compelling to me in a really terrible, hot way. though i obviously wish they’d handled things differently in most of s5

[spaceprincessem]

3, 7, 12, 18 for the weewoo ask my darling 💖💜🩵🩷😘💍

hi ryan my love 💕

3. favorite season

i would have to say season 3 is my personal favorite. it has some of the best episodes and the tsunami arc is just *chef's kiss*. season 2 is a close second though.

7. favorite female character

hen my most beloved!!!!! i love her so so much 💜

12. favorite storyline

buck and maddie's childhood and the daniel of it all. it just makes me ache and ache and ache to think about it. but i really love what they did and i think it really gives complexity and meaning to both buck and maddie's actions when they're older

18. favorite rescue

the train derailment is top tier. competent buck and eddie being upset that buck is throwing himself in the line of danger for abby. plus hen and chim with the kid who has the spinal chord injury!

also of course buck saving eddie during the shooting. that rewired my brain. buck facing one his old traumas and (without hesitating) crawling under the firetruck to pull eddie fro safety. picking eddie up, pressing his hand against the wound to stop the bleeding. just. imma chew glass

weewoo asks

[yeah-uh-the-pilot]

An Italian travel blogger just released a video where he was in LA and he went to the Santa Monica pier at the fair and let me tell you the whole time I was like

[chronicowboy]

things from the tsunami arc that altered my brain chemistry irrevocably and eternally:

buck's hand twisted in christopher's shirt pre-wave

you're gonna be okay, kid and the hand on buck's face

the way buck cups christopher's head when he's finally got him in his arms

and the way he clings to christopher as soon as they're up on the fire truck for the rest of the episodes, always keeping chris nestled against his side or tucked under his chin whenever he's not saving people

how he freezes when he hears christopher fall in and just Knows its chris

buck finding christopher's glasses

the fact that we see the moment buck cuts himself and he doesn't even react because he's too heartbroken to feel anything else besides the grief

do i even need to mention buck carrying himself through most of LA on willpower alone?

or the black tent?

or buck calling maddie and not even worrying about telling eddie, just worrying about christopher, until he sees him at the VA hospital?

or how eddie nods as buck stammers through his explanation like he believes that its not buck's fault even as his heart is breaking over losing his child?

or the way buck hands eddie christopher's glasses?

or he was looking for buck?

how about the way eddie presses his forehead to christopher's temple?

and the Look between buck and eddie? buck, disbelieving, relieved, just utterly and completely relieved because whatever happens next, even if he never gets to see his diaz boys again, at least christopher is alive. and eddie, disbelieving, relieved, entirely and wondrously in awe of the man that kept his son safe and alive despite a tsunami.

and buck collapsing because finally, finally his job is done. nothing else matters now.

not to mention!!! the After

wait for me to come home my beloved <3

buck's whole voiceover

the way chris walks into the loft and rests his head against buck's stomach, trusting him to wrap him in a hug, and the way buck hesitates like he's not sure he's allowed

eddie pushing in, eddie, the strong silent type, filling the silence that buck would usually to try to drown (poor choice of words, i admit) out whatever thoughts are going through buck's head as he tries to object to being left alone

eddie's instantaneous, easy switch from nonchalant teasing to serious reassuring

two men five centimetres apart because they are gay!

eddie's hand on buck's shoulder and the fucking thumb on his neck... kill me :D

eddie being honest and vulnerable about his parenting

i love him enough to never stop trying and i know you do too because of course eddie has just had more than enough evidence of that, and not just evidence but tsunami-proof evidence that buck would quite literally go to the ends of the earth for christopher, but this quote, buddie or not, links buck to christopher, to that co-parent role, indefinitely and irrefutably

eddie's little comment about buck losing weight (sir... why are you paying so much attention 🤨)

and FUCK, perhaps the worst of them all, eddie pausing in the doorway, one hand on the doorframe, eyes down as he says buck's name and that little moment of hesitation before he looks up and says thank you. for not giving up.

[matan4il]

I'm not sure if you know this answer but you seem to be the Bubbie Bible so it's a shot lol. Are the same writers and show runners still in place from S2 and on. I have to admit my favorite seasons were 2 and 3.. 5 was my least favorite and it really was just over all critiques. Like yes we got some good Buddie content but there was just also so much left out.

I really wanted to see the St. Louis conversation. The Chim Buck Conversation. The Eddie reaction to the BT break up.

I was told more then I was shown and I'm curious if it's just because we know the characters so much now we are supposed to interpret it? I think I'm just prepping myself for S6 expectations. Thanks for any insight!!

Hi dear Nonnie! Thank you for the lovely title, I kinda love it, though I have no idea whether I actually get to claim it. I will do my best for you, though! *hugs*

So the biggest change is that in s5, Tim Minear stepped away from being the main show runner for 911, he did this to more closely supervise 911 LS, but it's not like he's out of the picture completely. Instead of him, Kristen Reidel has stepped in to be the main show runner (though presumably she still answers to Tim if need be). She has been with the show since s1, she has been co-executive producer since back then and a full executive producer since s3. She has also written more than ten eps herself (the first one again going back to s1. She also wrote 205, which is when the team gives the verbal middle finger to what is clearly a reference to the homophobic Westboro Baptist "church", as well as 301, which gave us Eddie having Buck's key as canon, Buddie hugging, plus generally kick started the beloved tsunami arc. Maybe most importantly, she wrote 414, with the will reveal. Most recently, she wrote 503, which gave us Eddie breaking up with Ana, but first telling Buck about it, clearly showing Buck was the one who got Eddie to do it, as well as 517 and 518, which gave us Buck in the Diaz home, just being a natural part of whatever Eddie's going through). Lastly, she also directed eps 317 and 518.

I kinda went into details, because I do believe all of this means Kristen should have a pretty good grasp on what 911 wants to be, and what about it works. I do think she was thrown into rough circumstances, where she still had to navigate around covid issues (like Michael's actor being let go of because he refused to get vaccinated) in addition to having to build a season where a relatively big number of the actors for the show's loved characters weren't available to film (Maddie, Chim, Albert). I heard this is why Taylor's background in 507 and 509 was thrown in there, basically as filler since they were missing a lot of their cast. Though I still think that's a highly questionable decision (I would have much preferred it if they had used the extra time to delve into one of the more established characters), it did serve to better explain why Buck was willing to put up with a lot in that r/s. It showed him not exactly happy with some of Taylor's investigative ways in 507, but swallowing that down, and it also showed his fear of being abandoned dictating some of his actions in 509, plus let's not forget he's a naturally protective guy. Taylor in that ep def stirred that in him.

And I get it, I feel a bit cheated out of certain aspects as well. 911 might revisit them in the future, as it has done with some other issues in the past. I hope so. For example, we could still have a convo in s6 where Taylor is brought up and we get to see Eddie's glorious facial reactions, or hear what he has/had to say about the break up. All I'm saying is, given the obstacles in Kristen's way, then some of the shortcomings of s5 might be down to that. IDK what they'll do for s6, whether Tim will be back or what, but even if it is still Kristen at the helm, that doesn't necessarily mean you'll dislike s6. Not to mention, s5 def did deliver some things that fandom has wanted to see for a really long time, and even put Buck in the room! ;) I'm just saying, have heart. However you felt about s5 is legit, but s6 can still be a season you'll really love...

Hope this helps, Nonnie! Have a great day! xoxox

If you're looking for my ask replies, here is my ask tag! xoxox  

[extasiswings]

yeah i was thinking what if 'recovery' isn't so much about physical recovery but emotional recovery and that its not so much about buck but other members of the firefam

Yep. The application of that particular word to Bobby in particular is way too pointed to ignore—I will be shocked if it’s not a heavy Bobby episode. And as for physical vs. emotional recovery, ESPECIALLY for Buck, although applicable to other members of the firefam as well, the emotional recovery is always the most important thing (and the avoidance of it is what causes problems).

They largely skipped over Chim’s physical recoveries from his major injuries (rebar and the stabbing) but gave him important emotional arcs that were related (Stuck, my beloved), same with Eddie (all of S5 with the shooting but tbh we’re still unpacking the emotional impact of the well). Buck is the character for whom we’ve seen the most plot devoted to physical recovery (from 2x18–>3A) but ironically he’s the one who needs to do the most self-reflection and genuine emotional healing and has been able to avoid doing that (he hasn’t unpacked anything with his parents and Daniel, he never really unpacked the lawsuit, he certainly doesn’t seem to have even dealt with the tsunami which makes his absence from the Diaz Boys beach scene extra-pointed and appropriate). I think “recovery” could certainly be relevant to Chim and Maddie as well—it’ll be interesting to see if the return of the Buckleys brings up anything that they haven’t yet dealt with either wrt her leaving or otherwise.

I do think Buck will have a very important role to play in the episode because he’s one of the characters for whom “recovery” as a theme is front and center (especially after 6x02–he’s identified the problems, he just needs to actually do the work to “make the repairs”), I’m just not convinced it’ll be a Buck-centric episode (as opposed to Buck’s plot line being the B or C plot of the episode compared to Bobby or someone else).

[Another potentially interesting concept: more of Henren with Eva returning again—Ghost Stories did a lot there, but since they’re bringing Denny’s biological dad back in the midseason and kicking off something related to Denny “asking questions about his biological parents” (or however it was phrased), I don’t think that would be out of the realm of possibility].

[santakinard]

Reverse unpopular opinion: what’s your favorite storyline for the characters in 911? xx

Ooo such a good question!

Bobby: I think just his overall storyline with the Grants (+ the 118) of letting himself love again and gaining a new family.

Athena: In 4x01 and 4x02 when she has struggles of going back to work and she helps that lady with agoraphobia. Bonus: her journey with Bobby

Hen: Her journey with her mom. Bonus: all the henren goodness

Chimney: Also storyline also in 4x01 and 4x02 when he deals with his fears of being a dad. Bonus: his journeys with Maddie and Albert.

Buck: Tsunami Arc my beloved. Bonus: his growing journey with the Diaz boys

Eddie: 5b my most beloved. And his journeys with Christopher and Buck

Athena: In 4x01 and 4x02 when she has struggles of going back to work and she helps that lady with agoraphobia. Bonus: her journey with Bobby

Maddie: Boston my beloved. Bonus: her journey with Chimney and becoming a mom

May: Her becoming a dispatcher

Thank you so much babe ❤❤❤

ask me my reverse unpopular opinion on something

[daniclaytcn]

Hey, i love your blog and reading your thoughts on all things Buddie and there’s something i would love to have your input on. I don’t know if you saw posts like this, too, but there is an ongoing trend of people stating that there are two ways the show can go on with this, and that’s 1) keep on developing Buck and Eddie’s relationship (essentially leading to them becoming canon) or 2) untangle and distance them from each other and build up other love interests as the most important person in their life, leaving their friendship to be only referred to and rarely shown. And while i absolutely get where they are coming from and have seen mainstream tv taking that second path many times (don’t expect it from 911 though, i have faith in those writers)i think it’s simply not true that these are the only ways to write Buck and Eddie’s relationship going forward.

It absolutely is possible to keep their relationship as it is and still write different love interests for them. There will be less scenes with them together and I sure won’t fucking like it, but there is no need to have them become less important to each other. I hate that so many people seem to be not only of the impression that the most important person in someone’s life always HAS to be the romantic partner, but also that this place can’t be shared with someone else, like a best friend or some other platonically beloved person. I hate that people seem to be convinced that this is some kind of popularity contest that the love interest wins by default and that getting in a relationship with someone automatically makes your bond with others less important, automatically makes you invest less in those relationships. Not saying that that can’t happen, it sadly does quite often, but in 98% of those cases it’s because of a severe lack of trying from one party. It’s truly not in the nature of friendships that they deteriorate when not the sole focus of a person, you just have to be willing to put a little work in.

Anyway, rant over, would love to hear your thoughts on that matter.

hi, nonnie! first off, i'm so glad you like my blog and want my input on this! i do have a lot of thoughts on this, so here we go!

i have seen these takes going around, and while i don't necessarily disagree with them, i do agree with what you're saying. i don't know if buddie will go canon, but even if they don't, i highly doubt the show will shove their relationship to the side to prop up their new love interests. because look. the show has had every—and i mean every opportunity to take a step back from them since s2. they could've kept them at the place they were in the s2 finale, cute and shippable but not necessarily something fans would get invested in. they did not have to go as hard as they did with the tsunami and lawsuit arc. they didn't have to take every opportunity possible to cement them in each others' lives. these were all conscious choices, and this relationship is clearly too important to the writers to throw away just because both of them have new love interests. putting the rest under a cut:

onto your main point, while i don't really care for buddie staying platonic since they don't behave like other platonic relationships on the show and we have enough of that in media already, if they were to stay completely platonic, i don't see their relationship being diminished or undervalued by the writers and idk why people think that. it's like you said, just because you enter into a romantic relationship with someone else, doesn't mean your friends become less important. platonic love is only a different sort of love, not a lesser form. the writers have put way too much work into developing the buckley-diaz family unit, at the expense of buck and eddie's respective love interests, for them to suddenly sideline them completely in s5, regardless of whether they stay platonic or not. eddie was dating ana for about half a season and his relationship with buck never wavered, it only got stronger even. a bunch of the big buckxtaylor moments were overshadowed by buddie completely. whether you want to read buddie as platonic or not, their relationship with each other isn't gonna become any less important just because they have different love interests (who are side characters to boot, and won't even get as much screentime as either of them do. and this is assuming ana even shows up next season.)

It’s truly not in the nature of friendships that they deteriorate when not the sole focus of a person, you just have to be willing to put a little work in. this is so true, and in buck and eddie's case, both of them have always put a lot of hard work into their relationship and fought for it, in one way or the other. it hasn't been all sunshine and roses (contrast that to eddie's it's easy being with her in reference to ana). they're definitely not gonna forget about each other just because they're dating other people, especially in light of the finale.

i think a lot of this thinking ultimately boils down to heteronormativity. people are quick to assume that the m/f ship will automatically 'win' and receive better treatment than the bond between these two men, whether these people are buddie shippers or antis. people were (and still are) so hesitant to refer to buck, eddie and chris as a familial unit, but instantly jumped on the bandwagon after a couple of cute scenes with eddie, ana and chris. and i'm not trying to dunk on anybody—everybody is entitled to their own opinion and i respect that—it's just that its very telling that two men can go through so much together, form an unbreakable bond over three whole seasons, be completely devoted to each other, form a sort of a family unit along with one of their's son, have the other one who's not a parent yet even so fill in a parental sort of role, and people will still insist that seeing anything more is delusional, while automatically accepting that two women who have been on the show for about 6 episodes are gonna be there indefinitely and that the m/f ships are definitely endgame, and the bond between these two men will be sidelined in favor of that. it's all a very black and white sort of thinking, people need to understand that the story is deeper than that.

thank you for sharing your thoughts, nonnie!

[purplepri]

Purple watches 911 s5A (because I've only watched 5B live)

501

what I'm telling you is that the first Madney scene is so Buddie coded and I'm not even mad at myself for making it about Buddie (I'm kidding I'm writing this and doubting myself every turn)

Eddie looks so pretty OH MY GOD

It's like our greatest hits... But like, the tsunami for Buck, the mudslide for Eddie, why is Bobby's an earthquake?

Okay, but the woman trying to follow a broken GPS (broken directions, broken guidance) just to end up drowning, like... parallels...

May YOU ARE SO PRETTY

Okay: the woman was drowning - "the pressure [...] outside is greater than the pressure inside" - she had to sink for the pressure to equalize - she had to take away anything that could weight her down (the seatbelt, the shoes, both used to protect something) - she had to take a big breath of air before the water covered her - Eddie and Buck helped her (Buck by opening the door and Eddie by physically dragging her out of the car) = this is such a beautiful way of foreshadowing Eddie's arc, mainly the last part about Buck opening the door (Kicking down the door) and Eddie himself pulling [her] out of the danger

Ravi my most beloved <3

Oh my gosh I can't believe I'm subjecting myself to another 18 episodes of B*T, the things I do for love.....

Karen you are so smart how can you be this amazing

Texas and Michigan... but Jonah was a firefighter for the LAFD for 14 months before he was found out, and the ransomware attacks started two weeks before that (AT LEAST the ones involving GoGo Anywhere...), so there it goes my Jonah is the hacker and that's how he's getting out of prison theory :/

Seeing Jeffrey's face makes me wanna puke omg

CHRISTOPHER MY LOVE MY LIFE THE REASON I AM BREATHING

(also Eddie really looks so hot in that suit)

(also Ana... And all the implying about E*A having sex...)

Eddie really saw what the future held for him if he kept seeing Ana and said "nope, peace out" huh

Hey! Heart theme number 1!

I LOVE HARRY SO MUCH UGH

I don't remember who said that the guy that had a heart attack in the flight control center looked like Buck, with the curls and the white shirt, but I wish to both kick you in the butt for making me SEE IT and kiss you in the mouth for MAKING me SEE it

Hey! Heart theme number 2!

Okay, so: as a list of places where there was a hacker attack we have Atlanta, Georgia - Baltimore, Maryland - Boston, Massachussets - Texas - Michigan - Los Angeles, California

How can they be sure it is from overseas?

The way Eddie looks at Buck after Dr. Salazar calls him, also the face he makes because he KNOWS Buck's gonna be a mother hen about it kanjnijakjnke they are MARRIED, your honor

This hospital is so lucky to have Thee 118 with them.

These Jeffrey fans are soooo creepy, they look like they came right out of a horror movie

Oh my god the relief Athena felt just to know it is for nothing...

And that't it for today, if you want to follow my watch of 5A, I'll use the tag #purple watches 911 s5 (sooo creative, I know)

[chibimyumi]

Hello! I just wanted to say thank you for posting Kuroshitsuji & Kuromyu content for us! I have always wanted to know more detail about the performances and about Yunbastian and you give us SO MUCH detailed information, which I appreciate a lot. One thing I want to ask is do you think Kuromyu will come out with another musical anytime soon and what arc do you think it will be from?

【Related post: Masterpost Furukawa Era Kuromyu】

Dear Anon,

Thank you very much for your kind words! I am happy to hear such enthusiasm from a Yunbastian fan ^^

About any future Kuromyu... the Japanese fandom too is getting increasingly anxious about Kuromyu’s future. Ever since 2013 Kuromyu news has always been updated within a year, but since the Grand Final Performance of ‘Tango on the Campania’ in mid February 2018 there’s been nada.

There are two major concerns that really do explain this lack of update however.

Concern 1 - Ciel

Reo is the most popular Kuromyu Ciel in 10 years history, but he is clearly too old to reprise this role now. His chemistry with Furukawa is also renowned, so it is conceivable that the MKP (Musical Kuroshitsuji Project) is waiting for people’s sentiments for him to cool down before considering a new Ciel lest this child will be met with unfair criticism like Tanaka Taketo did.

The first popular Kuromyu Ciel was Nishii Yukito, but he really got way too big too to reprise his role. When he was replaced by Tanaka Taketo, Tanaka didn’t even get a single chance to prove himself before he was already met with a tsunami of “eewl, give us Nishii back”.

Not only is Reo the most beloved 3D Ciel, he is also the only Ciel who reprised his role with the same Sebastian. It is very likely that the MKP is trying to save any potential future Ciel from the same fate as Tanaka or Fukuzaki initially, because the Kuro fandom can be darn awful.

Until MKP is certain that they can find a child who can fill the enormous shoes left behind by Reo, I doubt they’ll announce any new Kuromyu, be it a rerun or a new production.

Concern 2 - Sebastian

Sebastian is also a major concern. After Yana had declared Furukawa above canon, it is basically inconceivable MKP would attempt any staging without being sure they can get Furukawa to reprise as Sebastian.

Though there is no doubt that Furukawa himself would be eager to reprise the role (as long as it’s canon), we can’t be sure TOHO will let him, or if he has any time at all. In 2018 Furukawa was nominated the Imperial Theatre’s prince/Ogosho on top of earning prize after prize. In 2019 he left a historical impact as Der Tod in ‘Elisabeth’, in 2020 he’s taken part in mainstream NHK drama (’Yell’) and the popular franchise ‘Confidenceman JP’... if this man wasn’t too big already last year, he certainly is too big now.

After the Lycoris 2015, TOHO (the company Furukawa belongs too) has been sponsoring MKP which dramatically raised the bar for Kuromyu. Without Furukawa however, I doubt TOHO would continue their sponsorship... and I also doubt MKP can afford to produce the same quality without TOHO.

As I also wrote in this post, “I don’t think anyone can fill the shoes [Furukawa]’s going to leave behind. I honestly think that the moment Furukawa stops playing Sebastian, MKP would be put in a coma, if not just die.”

Conclusion

So do I think we’ll get any Kuromyu announcement any time soon? Personally I THINK whether there will be one really depends on:

when they judge the sentiments for Reo has cooled down sufficiently as not to condemn a child to being Not!Reo,

whether they can sell enough souls to TOHO to allow Furukawa to reprise as Sebastian (Furukawa has almost no career-autonomy left outside TOHO),

whether they can also get TOHO to sponsor their production.

In short, I THINK the answer is: probably not anytime soon... though I hope I am wrong, because my heart is itching for more Sebastyun!

What Arc for a hypothetical new Kuromyu?

I have touched upon this question before on my blog, but to sum it up.

I THINK it is unlikely they’ll attempt a Boarding School Arc because it is the least beloved arc among the Japanese fandom (the opinions of any other fandom don’t matter to MKP). The details of why I think so can be found in the post: do you think they’re going to do a musical on Weston college?”

As for which Arc I think has the highest hope of getting a musical adaptation, I think it is the Emerald Witch Arc. The details can be found in the post: "what are your thoughts on an Emerald Witch musical?”

For more about Furukawa, new Kuromyu, TOHO and MKP, please refer to this post.

MASTERPOST Furukawa Era Kuromyu

Mini masterpost Analysis of sexism in The Most Beautiful Death in the World

MASTERPOST How to buy DVDs/BDs, and get Free English subtitles from me.

FAQ Kuroshitsuji facts and info

[thelightningawardsofficial]

Review | Northern Star

Judged by Mary Seph (ArimaMary)

Category: Simple Is Best

[ Author: Tieg2001 ]

>Title 3/5: "Northern Star" does the trick. It tells the reader the story is about Fubuki. Perhaps it is merely bad luck, but I have read that title being used recently in other stories so it does not come across as impressive or eye-catching. It is an alternate ending of Fubuki's arc, so something like Rising Star or taking another step and tie the title with something referenced in the story itself (basically, using a metaphor) will make it more relevant and eye-catching, making the reader go "ahhhh" or "ohhhh "when they understand why the story was named that way.

>Plot 16/25: I have to say, it took me quite a few reads to understand what was going on. Perhaps it was the word choice or the lack of physical description that made the story feel as if the characters were floating. This caused a snowball effect that affected your other scores in its respective categories. I would say half was the plot shown in the anime, and another half was your own twist; although at the first read I didn't see any divergence as you mentioned because of the first thing I said. I judged only on the plot of your own creation. What made the story fall in this item is how these new events were handled. The beginning is interesting; it would be so much better if the word choice improves considerably. The second twist didn't quite work as well because it seems to come out of nowhere. Starting from the beginning of the story, I don't know the protocol when an avalanche occurs so I will guess it is similar to a landslide. Someone reports it, and authorities like the police and the ambulance come to investigate. It is unclear if the sirens are getting close because of the accident or because of the avalanche (which has to be cleaned of course). On another topic, it would have been interesting to have had a solid visual of the state of the scarf when it was first mentioned. Was it hanging from a branch, a piece of metal, or in the floor? How come the lady asked if it was Fubuki's and not who did it belong to? On the topic of the lady, someone definitely should have stayed by his side to get a testimony or for emotional support. I was sure it was going to be her. He's just a little boy after all!

The next scene suffers from the recurring fault I first mentioned, unclear wording. I had no idea which soccer match it was because there were no pointers at the very beginning, grounding the scene. And it was just as hard to know who this goalkeeper was without a name--recommendations for these points are in Grammar and Style where I bring up more of these examples. The part I had the most trouble understanding was the turning point which hints a time skip, I think. Because I am still confused after thoroughly dissecting this one-shot. The change in the characters around Fubuki after this skip seemed baseless, out of nowhere. First being aggressive then supportive. Where did that come from? It needs a trigger, a strong one; and it will raise the emotions--the rising action--to swipe the reader off their feet. The ground has plenty of potential. You need to dig deeper.

>Characterization 11/20: I will be scoring the following characters: Shirou (little and teen), Atsuya, the lady, and those two characters whom I won't name due to spoilers. Firstly, Little Shirou didn't portray much of his personality save from "Atsuya. . ." which by this point is a trope. Personality is best shown through actions, and the most distinct, the more a character's psyche is exposed. With third person narrator, this is where I recommend you place your focus. Secondly, the lady seemed really cold, leaving little Shirou alone. Her dialogue seemed to be merely for plot purposes rather than anything else. I want to bring up the turning point again, the rising action, and this is a key point where Fubuki's personality would--should-- have shone. He was like clogged water where he should have risen like a tsunami and flood the reader with emotions: anger, sadness, helplessness, and hope. With a character as beloved as Fubuki which rose the popularity polls (like the wind!), it was this strong relatability and capacity to make the viewer feel empathy that he became a favorite. From the ten points of his character, I gave you five, and a two for Atsuya because, sure, the dialogue was in-character, but his personality/actions were inconsistent. The lady didn't do much, and those two characters seemed to be for plot purposes rather than having actual personalities.

>Grammar and Writing Style 11/15: Now for the good stuff. I put extra effort in this part because of the time you have been writing. I hope this can help a lot. The way you used spacing is quite messy and at times confusing--those short scenes in which extra spacing. Sadly, Wattpad doesn't quite work well with an extra space like in books. But! I just read a story which made great use of this spacing. In general, you have three options: spacing, symbols, and transition phrases. For this part, a transition phrase might work well. You need to find when to use which. But the symbols were used appropriately. Good job.

On another topic, there was some glaring use of passive voice, two clear examples being "Silence reigned, no sound was to be processed by Fubuki" and "By the use of skilled faints, the football got carried away forward by Gran." Use active voice instead. This is big. Always check for passive voice while editing. Onto style, there were instances in which some descriptions were too vague like "creature of [the] wild". "Wolf" delivers a clear and concise image in the readers head. Use clear words. I can say this the whole story. This is crucial. Fortunately, this can be easily fixed with adding sensory descriptions: the yells from the team, the grass at Fubuki's feet, the distance he feels from the match as if he weren't there. Ground the story, and you can ground a reader to it. Perhaps you are trying to sound fancy (and I apologize if those words sounded rude) but trying to make something seem bigger than it is in the narration shows the writer is trying to make something seem bigger than it is. Dialogue-wise, it seems the lack of dialogue tags in the italicized dialogue ended up backfiring, merely adding to the confusion. Save from the lines that were obviously Atsuya's, I had no idea who this person was or how to follow their lines. If you want to add mystery to the identity, you can describe their voice or throw hints about their appearance for the reader to put the pieces together, like breadcrumbs leading to a house made of candy.

You requested some analysis in your use of metaphors and I will focus on that now. One of the best metaphors was mirroring Fubuki's actions with his tears, and I will mention this again in Feels Factor. Using his tears as a starting point glued the tragedy tighter. You also compared the pure white snow with the smoke. To make this one more effective, you could add what the black smoke represents (tragedy, loss, trauma, etc) to the purity of the snow, because both are blinding but in different ways. The white snow seemed to represent Fubuki's desire to escape from reality aka the black smoke! Years passing like a blizzard was really nice too!

>Originality 8/10: I took two points for half of the one-shot being about events shown in the anime. I like you chose to show the accident at the very beginning and write about Fubuki in his best and its worst. My scoring is harsh enough so I will cut this part short.

>Feels Factor 11/15: Readability definitely seems to be the rock Northern Star bumped and fell face first on. It didn't make me feel because I was busy trying to understand what was going on, and in some moments when I felt a ripple, it was because the phrasing seemed out of place. As I said previously, clear words. "The boy with no family" would be easily replaced with "orphan boy" and be saved from a weird sense of pity that didn't quite belong there in my opinion. The events in this story are crucial moments for Fubuki as a character and a person. The readers should have felt all the emotions that flooded him: despair, helpless, sadness, anger, emptiness, and whatever else you wanted to show.

One thing that worked really well was "One tear fell. And then the boy." That's tragedy. The impact that caused the second sentence being the start of a new paragraph was so effective. Also, when he found Atsuya. I winced a little. Third person point of view is detached, but can also allow some strong imagery and description that are limited in other POVs. Tell me about the bloody snow, the smell of gasoline, the yells of Raimon, Gouenji's angry frown. I know I have said this quite a few times, but your writing reminds me of the first years I started to write. Don't lose faith, each story counts!

Total: [Raw] 60/90 [Final] 67%